AUTO LETTERS.

Research best before buying a used car

September 14, 2003|By Jim Mateja, Tribune auto reporter.

Q. In April I purchased a certified used Volkswagen Beetle. The dealer assured me it was never in an accident. A few months later I noticed problems, took it to another dealer and was told it had been in a major accident and the rear end had to be replaced. I contacted VW and was told the dealer is responsible because he certified the car. I also have the insurance claim from the previous owner, and the body shop receipt stating repairs for a rear-end collision were made. Interested in doing a story? R.M., Northbrook

A. What, do yet another story on a consumer who neglected to check out a used car thoroughly to find out it had been involved in an accident before buying it? Your real question is: Interested in getting involved so VW will relent and replace the car free?

It's not VW's problem. It's a problem between you and the dealer who tried to pass the car off as trouble free. And to resolve that problem you need to 1) go back to the dealer with your evidence that the car had been in an accident and/or 2) contact the Illinois attorney general's office to file a complaint, which you can do by visiting www.ag.state.il.us to download a complaint form. Or you can obtain a form by calling 800-386-5438.

Q. I purchased a used 2001 Audi TT roadster in December of 2000 with about 5,000 miles on it from a luxury special-interest auto dealer. The car is dangerous and unreliable yet Audi refuses to stand behind it and do the warranty work. The car runs out of gas or won't start. Audi blames me for buying a car that was purchased in Canada and sold by a non-Audi dealer. I asked Audi to buy the car back but it refused. I asked it to replace the car, and it said it would if I pay the difference between the value of the old car and the price of a new Audi. What can I do about my unsafe, unreliable, $50,000 (it isn't Audi's fault I paid too much) car? I never expected problems at a dealership that carries only exotic and expensive cars. N.D., Mukilteo, Wash.

A. Audi isn't responsible for buying back or replacing your car. Most automakers, Audi included, don't honor warranties on cars purchased in Canada. Why? To make a long story short, cars are sold for less money in Canada where a bushel full of their dollars are worth a handful of U.S. dollars, and the automakers feel by not honoring warranty claims they can discourage U.S. residents from shopping there.

Would having the dealer you bought from contact Audi to extend the remainder of the new car warranty to your car have helped? No, because Audi wouldn't extend the warranty on a car sold in Canada to an owner living in the U.S.

Even if the car didn't come from Canada, you bought a used car and Audi isn't responsible for used cars, especially not those purchased from a non-Audi dealership.

Your problem is with the dealer who sold the car. Because the store deals in exotic luxury cars and you paid $50,000 for a used '01 that runs about $43,000 for a fully loaded, it sounds as if you bought a modified or customized car, which would have voided any warranty coverage regardless of what country built, sold or resold in. What to do with your car? Have the selling dealership fix it.

Q. I'm interested in the new Toyota hybrid Synergy engine. Great gas mileage and good performance sounds like a winner to me. When will Toyota put this engine in a Camry? J.F., Springfield

A. The next-generation Toyota hybrid called Hybrid Synergy Drive will be offered first in the new Prius this fall, the Lexus RX330 in the fall of '04 and word is in the Toyota Highlander sport-utility shortly after that. Toyota plans to offer gas/electric hybrids throughout its lineup, but other than those three vehicles, it hasn't detailed its gameplan, so no word on when Camry is a beneficiary. Of note, the gas/electric offered in Prius this fall is the one Toyota will license for use by Nissan.

Q. My brother has found his new redneck gene and now insists on buying only American. For some reason, however, heaven forbid you bring up the manufacturer of his phone, TV, VCR, CD player, camcorder, Sony PlayStation, DVD player, digital camera or stereo receiver. Which do you feel is more American, the Monte Carlo made in Canada using 86 percent U.S./Canadian parts, or the Toyota Avalon made in Kentucky using 70 percent U.S./Canadian parts? E.R., Westmont

A. Because some of those U.S./Canadian-based parts suppliers are Japanese, you'd probably have to count each part by hand to come up with an answer. When you're done, holler.